


the axis and breath

by MiniNephthys



Category: 1bitHeart (Video Game), Lamento -BEYOND THE VOID-
Genre: Crossover, Friendship, Gen, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-26
Updated: 2017-04-26
Packaged: 2018-10-24 02:18:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10732122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiniNephthys/pseuds/MiniNephthys
Summary: The Devil of "Love" and the Devil of Grief chat in a field of flowers. (All positive emotions associated with devils require quotation marks.)





	the axis and breath

**Author's Note:**

> Nanashi is post 1bitHeart's normal ending, and the fic is post Asato's good ending in Lamento.

Every devil was someone who died feeling one emotion incredibly intensely, Nanashi knows. They can’t go against their own desires, because they’re devils, and they can’t lie.

Kaltz is grief, and that makes sense. It’s sad to die, for most people - cats as well as humans. Nanashi knows that Kaltz wouldn’t appreciate being asked about how he died, and it’s not his right to pry, so he doesn’t ask.

Razel is wrath, and that… sort of makes sense, but sort of doesn’t. Of course, it’s natural to be angry if you die unjustly, but Razel is the calmest of the devils that Nanashi’s met. He doesn’t ask Razel about his death either: he doesn’t have the right to pry with anyone, even people way less sad than Kaltz.

Verg is pleasure, and while Nanashi doesn’t exactly get how you can get pleasure out of being killed, he’s confident that if anyone could manage it, it’s Verg. So there’s really no reason to doubt that’s what he is.

Froud is “joy”. It’s the kind of joy that needs quote marks around it, because Nanashi is pretty sure that normal people don’t get happiness out of killing, or out of being killed. But Froud calls it joy, and who is Nanashi to tell him he’s wrong?

And as for Nanashi, well, he’s “love”, of course!

A piece of trash like him doesn’t deserve this role. Even if he’d given himself up in exchange for the safety of people important to him, and even if he could wear a smile until the moment of his death because every speck of pain was all for “love”, isn’t this too important for him to rule over?

If he found someone better suited for it, he’d gladly pass on the title of Devil of “Love”. But until then, he’ll take care of his duties as best he can.

If your demon summoning is made in a fit of anger, then you’ll call Razel. If it’s grief that drives you, Kaltz. If you’re searching for pleasure, Verg, and if you just enjoy the idea of killing people with a devil’s powers, then Froud.

If it’s “love” - the desire to help someone dear to you, no matter what the cost to yourself, because they’re important and you pale in comparison - then it’s Nanashi who appears, and he’ll be happy to forge that contract and take your soul. If it’s for someone you love, and you’ve decided it’s worth it to suffer torment forever in exchange for your wish, then who is he to say no?

Besides, it gives Nanashi strength. And while he really doesn’t care about being powerful or anything for its own sake, it’s important that he continue to exist until there’s someone better available. Because otherwise, the people who call upon him would have no one to grant their wishes, and that’s just too sad.

Nanashi would have helped Leaks if he’d been asked, but he wasn’t summoned - probably because his powers aren’t very good for killing people unless it’s for “love”, and Leaks’ motivations were as far from that emotion as you can get. So he stays out of that entire business.

Shortly after the eclipse, he finds Kaltz lying on his stomach in a field of flowers. He looks like he’s seen better days, injury-wise, but he’s not in the process of dying or anything, which is good. Nanashi likes Kaltz the best out of the other devils he’s met.

Nanashi plops down on his butt, next to Kaltz. “So the world didn’t end!”

“...It did not.” Kaltz turns his head to look at him. He looks tired, but not in a bad way. “Hello, Nanashi.”

“Hi, Kaltz,” Nanashi replies with a bright smile. “Did you help save the world? Is that why you’re all beat up?”

“I suppose so,” Kaltz answers. “Although, most of these injuries are from saving something more important than the world.”

Nanashi’s eyes go wide with surprise and delight. “You have someone more important to you than the world? Are you in love? You’re in love!”

“Not romantic love,” Kaltz says, but the soft smile on his face says that Nanashi was close.

“The other kinds are just as good!” Nanashi wants to fling himself at Kaltz and hug him, but he also wants to not disturb Kaltz’s injuries more or make Kaltz get upset at him for unexpected touch (he doesn’t like that), so instead he just wiggles his tail back and forth. “I’m so happy for you, Kaltz! Are you going to spend all your time with them instead of doing devil things now?”

Kaltz shakes his head. “My presence would not be welcome. His life will be better without me in it.”

Someone else might find that tragic, but Nanashi understands that if the best thing for someone you love is for you to leave them alone, then you have to leave them alone.

“You’re a really good person,” Nanashi says, and it’s not a lie. “I know I’m total garbage, but if you ever get lonely, I can come by. Being with a pest like me probably isn’t much better than being alone, or maybe it’s even worse than having nobody, but-”

Kaltz sets a hand on top of Nanashi’s head, between his horns. It’s a gentle touch that quiets Nanashi’s rambling. “I would be glad to spend more time with you.”

Nanashi thinks that if he were or had ever been a cat, he would be purring right now. Instead he just smiles as wide as his face will accommodate. “So, we’re friends now?”

Kaltz answers him with a nod, and Nanashi pushes himself off the ground to do a flip in midair. It’s way less impressive than if he couldn’t float, but it’s still a good way to show his excitement if he doesn’t want to hug somebody. Even if being upside down does make him a little dizzy.

And Kaltz... laughs. It’s soft and brief, but it’s still a laugh. Nanashi’s never heard laughter from Kaltz before.

It’s prettier than every single flower in this field.


End file.
